July 20, 1907 



HOKTICULTURJC 



67 



iiig the plant is of great importance. What to feed, 

 when to feed, and how to feed are questions often asked 

 and for their answer one has to depend largely upon 

 the experience of expert growers and experimenters. 

 While there is a great deal yet to be learned by careful 

 experiment, yet a statement of general practice for the 

 feeding of such plants is of mudi value. To the mixed 

 material indicated above there should be added a short 

 time before the planting of the rose fine ground 

 steamed bone to serve as a source of phosphoric acid 

 and about one pound muriate of potash to a cubic yard 

 of soil should also be used. It is well to remember that 

 the compost for starting the new plants should not be 

 too rich to start with or the roots of the young plants 

 will be injured. In the production of this class of 

 plants there is much greater damage of overfeeding 

 with nitrogen, than underfeeding, still one must be 

 careful and not go to the otlicr extremie, for if one 

 would have large, healthy, well-formed flowers, there 

 must be an abundance of easily available plant food in 

 the soil. It is more desirable in feeding roses and sim- 

 ilar crops to rely upon liarnyard manures, supplemented 

 with bone and potash than to attempt to give all of the 

 plant food through the medium of commercial fer- 

 tilizers, still success can be had even through the lattet 

 medium alone. 



If the vegetative growth needs stimulating and 

 brightening, and the plants have strong root systems, 

 a liberal feeding of nitrate of soda, say 10 oz. to 50 

 gallons of water per 100 square feet of area may serve 

 a purpose. If the growth is active and of good color, 

 but rather spindling and short, there is evidence of the 

 need of potasli. in which case nitrogen should be 

 avoided. Potash may be supplied by giving an appli- 

 cation of sulfate of potash used at the rate of 8 to 

 12 oz. to 50 gallons of water per 100 square feet at 

 intervals of ten days to two weeks, or, the undissolved 

 sulfate of potash may be sprinkled at the same rate per 

 100 square feet. This application should be followed 

 for the second and third application, by lime at the rate 

 of 1 lb. to 20 square feet. If the plants are grooving 

 well but are not making flower buds, they should be 

 given liberal applications of phosphoric acid in the 

 .shape of steamed fine bone, or if it is desired to avoid 

 Ihe nitrogen entirely supply superphosphate at the rate 

 of 1 lb. to 100 sq. feet, followed in a short time by an 

 application of lime as in the case of potash. 



If there is reason to believe that a complete plant 

 food is necessary to promote the growth of the plants 

 rhe following combination of materials is recommended: 



Vi lb. Nitrate of Soda, 

 I lb. Acid Phosphate, 

 lo lb. Sulphate of Potash, 



for 150 square feet of area. The following formula is 

 recommended by Professor Stewart of Indiana, and is 

 a complete fertilizer for roses : 



Superphosphate 130 lbs. 



Sulphate of Ammonia 13 lbs. 



Nitrate of Soda 31 lbs. 



Sulphate of Potash 26 lbs. 



He recommends 1 oz. of this mixture to one gallon of 

 water for two square yards of bench surface, once a 

 week as the plants need it. One who pays close atten- 

 tion to the food requirements of their plants as well " 

 as to the physical condition of the soil will have much 

 better success than from the general haphazard method 

 so often practiced. 



GEO. WRIGHT. 



The Formal Garden for Perennials 



The set and itnnatural present-day method of the 

 formal garden for the planting of herbaceous peren- 

 nials is a fashion that is decidedly against the beauty, 

 effect or general appearance of anything planted. 



Do not misunderstand me. By the set formal gar- 

 dens I mean one entirely composed of oblongs, sqtiare.s, 

 and circles, the whole very flat and surrounded by a 

 hedge. I am not condemning formality on any estate, 

 but the set formality in arranging the beds for planting 

 herbaceous plants. 



The first and most important thing to consider 

 against above method of planting is the inability of 

 anyone to plant for a natural or good color effect. It 

 is impossible to set this effect when the whole arrange- 

 ment is unnatural, and as for colors there is sure to be 

 some clashing somewhere when standing at different 

 parts of the estate. 



Secondly, in such beds one cannot find suitable spots 

 for the growing of all the desirable varieties of peren- 

 nials, and the center beds cannot be planted without, 

 to some extent, hiding the back. 



Third, there is not the scope to make those beautiful 

 masses of peonies, lilies, iris, larkspurs, etc., that are 

 so necessary for beautiful effects. 



It is better to plant the bullc of herbaceous perennials 

 in masses. A number of plans for tliis kind of plant- 

 ing call for one bed of peonies, one of larkspurs and so 

 on through the list, making a big show in one bed and 

 leaving the rest of the garden without any repetition. 

 It is this want of repetition that is to be condemned. 



There are other reasons of smaller matter against 

 above method of planting, but one other that strikes me 

 laost forcibly now. with temperature ranging in the 

 nineties, is the awful glaring heat, and the rapidity 

 with which the ground will dry, causing all flowers to 

 come to maturity quickly, and pass away before being 

 iitlly appreciated. 



Xow, on the other hand, seven or eight times in every 

 ten, there is ground enough for the architect or planter 

 to work out any reasonable scheme that he or she likes, 

 and I think it would be much better if continuous 

 curving paths and beds were used instead of straight 

 lines and right angles. 



Have a bed for the herbaceous plants on one side of 

 the path or both sides if possible, carying the width of 

 the bed from 8 or 10 feet to 3 feet. Instead of a hedge, 

 the background of these borders should be slirubbery of 

 high-grade, leaving out the kinds that are apt to run 

 underground, as these will cause trouble. 



Follow the natural tendency of the ground, curving 

 your path to take in desirable trees and rocks; if there 

 are not any naturally plan to work some in. If a 

 brook or some kind of water can be utilized you have an 

 ideal spot for hardy plants. Do not follow any lines 

 when planting the backgi-ound, but all the time irregu- 

 larly widen and narrow the border. 



It can readily he seen that by this method yon have 

 dry and moist positions as well as sunlight and sliade, 

 also the borders are well protected from cold sweeping 

 winds, and the natural protection of snow will drift in 

 and stav loncrer than anvwhere else. 



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